PERICARDIAL WINDOW

A pericardial window is a procedure done on the sac around the heart. Surgically removing a small part of the sac lets doctors drain excess fluid from the sac.

A pericardial window can help decrease the fluid around the heart. It can also help diagnose the source of the extra fluid. Conditions that might need a pericardial window include:

• Infection of the heart or pericardial sac
• Cancer
• Inflammation of the pericardial sac due to a heart attack
• Injury
• Immune system disease
• Reactions to certain drugs
• Radiation
• Metabolic causes, like kidney failure with uremia